


stories left on our skin

by blasphemous



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Divergent Fusion, Dauntless!Alec Lightwood, Dauntless!Magnus Bane, Divergent!Alec Lightwood, Family Secrets, Good Parent Maryse Lightwood, How Do I Tag, I think there's some friendship before the smooching tho, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Abuse, Rating May Change, Strangers to Lovers, there's a tag asking how to tag? cool
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-31
Updated: 2018-07-31
Packaged: 2019-06-19 15:16:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15512646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blasphemous/pseuds/blasphemous
Summary: At the age of 19, each citizen of Chicago, Illinois is to choose one of the five factions society is divided into.Alec Lightwood is a simple only child, Abnegation-born teenager who has a dream of being free from familial responsibilities. Abnegation stands for selflessness, which is everything Alec is supposed to be.That's until he takes the Aptitude test and is given the chance to go against what his parents have planned for him.aka the divergent au no one asked for. (well some people asked for it but it's cooler when I say no one asked for it)





	stories left on our skin

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, (you can skip this, it's just me incessantly rambling) 
> 
> I wasn't planning on starting anything new because of all the WIPs lingering in my notes but thanks to Salomé and her Magnus + faction tattoo edit, I couldn't exactly help myself so here I am, stuck in a never ending web of unfinished works.
> 
> Just to make something clear, everything in this fic is consensual. Alec is 19 and Magnus is 23. The first chapter is heavily based on the Divergent film so I'm sorry if you keep imagining Alec as Tris. 
> 
> A huge thank you to Luci for being a darling and (aggressively) beta'ing this, it means a lot!
> 
> (And yes I'm aware that I'm trash for Alec/Maia and Alec/Simon, thank you very much!)

Hazel eyes flutter open and for a split second, everything was okay. No burdens or responsibilities awaiting to be toted. 

But once the solace in his mind faded, replaced with anxiety and fear, Alec closed his eyes again. He didn't want to leave bed, didn't want to face the day that's going to finalise his being as an Abnegation. An altruistic abnegation. Just like his parents. 

The shrill ring of his alarm went off and he instantly jumped up to slam his hand against the top of it out of fright, disabling it instantly. 

Instead of getting out of bed, however, he flopped back down, lifting a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. _Abnegation._

“Alec, get up!”

A groan rumbled from his throat at his mother's order and the next minute, he was standing in front of his open wardrobe, only a series of grey in his line of view. So he pulled out a henley and loose fitting trousers.

** *** **

“You’re going to make us _so_ proud.” Maryse’s teary voice drew Alec’s attention and before he knew it, he was looking up and into the bathroom mirror, that's usually hidden away behind closed and locked doors.

For the first time in _months,_ months nearly verging on a year.

 _Holy shit_ was his first thought as he took in the way he looked. His brow was still scarred from where he had cut it when he was younger, his hair a dark mess in contrast to his porcelain skin.

His spirited hazel eyes darted all over his reflection, fully absorbing his appearance like he was being acquainted with a whole new person. With _himself._

Everything looked so..so _alien._

Slowly, he lifted his hand to touch his cheekbone, his jaw contracting sharply.

The moment his fingertips touched his skin, his tactile corpuscles flared, heart suddenly thudding harder against his ribcage. _Holy shit._

Before he had the chance to admire himself further, Maryse slammed the cupboard revealing the mirror shut, tutting her tongue once. As if to tell Alec not to let his handsomeness go to his head. Alec instantly bowed his head as she began to spurt some gel on his hair and began brushing it back. The gesture was odd for someone as tall as him and made him slump in an awkward position.

Alec only twiddled his thumbs, eyes fixated on his hands as his mother began prattling on about how honouring it is to be Abnegation. For a woman as composed as she was, Alec could easily detect the apprehension in her voice. 

She was nearly as nervous for the aptitude test as he was. It was somewhat reassuring.

Maryse's hands rested on his shoulders, silently offering comfort. “Go on, you're going to be late.”

** *** **

Alec felt the way he would before an actual exam. Apprehensive but excited to get it all over with. He was standing in the waiting room, hands clasped behind his back. 

There _was_ an empty seat, but there were also more people outside waiting to be sent in and to Alec, _an Abnegation,_ it was only fair that he let someone else take the seat. 

A woman opened the door and a girl strolled out, stopping to hug her test administrator with a bright smile on her face. 

_Amity_ Alec thought to himself as the girl pulled back and flittered out the room happily. 

The administrator looked at her clipboard, then up. “Alexander Gideon Lightwood” she said, and Alec internally winced at the use of his full name, raising a hand quietly.

The woman jerked her head to the side, voicelessly telling him it's his turn. His hands clenched by his side as he followed her into the room. The moment he stepped in, he saw a mirror and instantly looked away, clearing his throat.

This allowed him to take a good look at the room. Alec was never one for technology, but even he couldn't deny his intrigue by the machines, attached to the screen hung on the white wall with thick black wires. There was a computer set by where he's to sit. _For the test results_ his mind provided. 

Finally, his gaze landed on the administrator, who was readying everything for his test.

“You Abnegations and mirrors” she rolled her eyes, “I'll never understand you people.”

“We just reject narcissism..” Alec justified lowly. He felt stupid saying it because sometimes, he himself doubted that a mirror can make someone conceited. 

The woman waved him off. “Yeah, yeah, I know” she waved a hand towards the stretcher, “sit.”

Alec followed the order without question.

“I'm Maia, by the way” the woman said, turning around to hand him a tube of blue liquid. Alec took it and downed it in one gulp without question, wishing it would somehow alleviate his anxiety. “Now let me just make something clear. No matter what this test determines, you still get to choose whatever you want, even if that means the boring ole Abnegation, yeah?”

Alec smiled despite himself, adjusting his position as he closed his eyes. “Yeah.”

He didn't feel any change and after a minute, he winked an eye open, only to find that Maia was no longer in the room and everything seemed abnormally silent. He opened both eyes and took in his surroundings. 

Despite the fact he lay in a parallel room, there was something off, something..eerie. So Alec sat up slowly to stand up.

The second his feet touched the floor, his surroundings shifted. One moment he was between four bland walls and the next he stood surrounded by trees, quietude blanketing him as he took in his peaceful vicinity with a deep inhalation. 

The air didn't seem to do anything to his lungs, though, it didn't allow him to smell the bucolic scent of nature either.

“Help!” The loud exclamation echoed from a young boy's lips and Alec turned around swiftly in search of the source. 

Everything felt so..surreal, _unreal._ He felt trapped in a simulation. Controlling a body that didn't _belong_ to him. 

“Help!”

Alec ran in the direction of the plea, only to hear it coming from a different direction. 

“Choose.”

Alec turned around briskly to find a replica of himself standing in front of him, holding a gun in one hand and a stack of money in the other. 

Alec quirked a brow at both items then looked up at their holder. “What for?”

The other didn't blink as he repeated his order a little sterner. 

“No” was Alec's response, “I'm not choosing until you tell me what it's for.”

“Help!” The voice was coming from behind him and when he spun around, he found himself facing the back of an armed man. 

Alec looked between both parties. The boy had tears running down his face as he sniffled and the man had his gun pointed in his direction as if he didn't know of Alec's presence. 

Alec turned back to take the gun but found that his replica was gone. 

“Please” the shaky sob had Alec's heart palpitating as he brought his hand up to rub the back of his neck, an indecisive tic of his.

Then he heard the man cock his gun. Rushing to stand between both parties with his hands held out, he exclaimed a “don't!”

The man snarled and Alec turned his head to look at the boy. “It'll be okay” he whispered reassuringly, giving a small smile before he turned to the man— the man who had let go of his gun and was now crouching with his head bowed.

Alec took a step back, brows furrowing as the man began to spasm, fingers clenching in a freakish way that had Alec nearly flinching in pain. The man abruptly looked up and Alec stumbled back when he saw the way his skin began to rip apart, his entire body structure starting to completely change. “Run!” 

And the boy, just like that, was stumbling his way through the forest as the wolf in front of Alec ruffled his fur, as if shaking off all his humanity, or lack of. Who, with a conscience, aims a gun at a child's head?

“It's just a test” Alec whispered to himself, “just a test, just a test” he inhaled deeply, giving himself the strength he more than needed. Content with his self-consolation, he reached for a branch hanging low above him, ignoring his lack of exertion as he ripped it off the trunk. 

Then the wolf attacked.

And Alec fell back, holding the sharp point of the branch upwards in defence as he squeezed his eyes shut.

However, the wolf jumped right over him to run in the same direction the boy did, which had Alec instantaneously standing and leaping for the canine. 

Then his eyes shot open and he was staring up at Maia, puffing air in relief as he sat up. “Shit” he breathed out under his breath, only to have Maia pulling him up. 

“You're leaving through the back door” she was saying, hustling him towards said door with annoying nudges. 

“Hey! Hey!” Alec tried to shrug her off, “what the hell— stop!” He stopped at the door, but she only opened it and began pushing him out. “Stop it! You're strong for a—”

Maia's manhandling stopped so she could glare at him, daring him to complete that sentence. “For a woman?” She finished off when he didn't say anything. 

“No, for an Erudite!” He snapped, “isn't your motto _the pen is mightier than the sword_ or something like that?” 

Maia looked at him for a long minute before smacking his arm, hard. “I'm a Dauntless, you idiot” she propelled him out the door with a push to his chest. “Get out. Listen to me” she held his biceps with both hands, “you're going to go home, and you're going to tell your family that the elixir made you sick and that I told you to go home, alright?”

Alec stilled. “What was my result?” He whispered, “Maia, tell me, what was my—”

“Go home before a supervisor—”

“I'm _not._ Going home,” Alec's eyes bore into hers, “until you tell me.”

Maia's pushing faltered, her jaw flexing as she looked up at Alec. “Abnegation” she finally said. 

Alec rolled his eyes dramatically. “You made it seem like—”

“And Amity,” Alec's words died on his lips upon hearing another faction, “and Dauntless.”

“What?” 

“Your results– they were indeterminate” Maia explained, voice low as her eyes darted around them before settling back on Alec.

“That's impossible, do I have to come again for another test?” Alec queried perplexedly, only to receive a loud “no! don't you dare!” in return, “if another administrator is to conduct your next test, you're in more danger than—” a knock cut through her admonition, so she stepped closer to him, “don't tell anyone about this, Alexander. You tell them you got Abnegation, alright? Abnegation.”

“What about the choosing ceremony? I was supposed to trust this test to guide me! What do I do now?” Alec desperately placed a hand on the door, “what do I do tomorrow?”

Maia pinched the bridge of her nose. “The test didn't work on you” she said quietly, “trust yourself.” Then she shut the door and turned around, rolling her shoulders for composure as she took a deep breath to steel herself. “Come in!”

** *** **

“What's going on with you, Alec?” Maryse's voice sliced through Alec's thoughts, prompting him to look up with a forged smile. “We didn't see you after the aptitude test.”

“Ha? Nothing. I got a little ill from the elixir so they sent me home” he lied fluidly, “sorry for leaving you behind.”

“Abnegation?” Maryse asked, pouring herself some water as she set her eyes on her son. Alec's lips parted, then he nodded with another fake smile.

“That was my test result” he said casually. “Not my choice.”

He only received a hum from his parents, then Robert spoke up. “I hope you're not revisiting your decision, Alec” he said stoically, pushing his empty plate away to interlace his fingers over the table, “you know that Erudite are trying to make residents see us Abnegation as being in disrepute. They believe that intelligence conquers selflessness. If you were to choose another faction, our faction will be discredited, Asmodeus will be under suspicion and it'll only be a matter of time before the denizens rise against Abnegation governors.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Alec held a hand up, “what does Asmodeus have to do with the faction I choose?”

Maryse fell silent, eyeing her divorcé in contempt. Robert sighed. “Just an old allegation against him. That he mistreated his son and that's why the boy..reneged our faction.”

Alec nodded. “Hm. And is that true?”

“Of course not!” Maryse cut in hurriedly. “People defect for a lot of reasons, Alec.” 

Alec let it go despite the fact he didn't believe a single word.

“Just remember that family is what matters most, Alec” Maryse's monotone contradicted her words, “we love you.”

Alec smiled and gave a nod, standing up to leave for his room.

** *** **

The concentric circle was crowded. Parents encouraging their children to follow in their footsteps while others championed them to go for what they want. Alec smiled when he saw a girl getting scolded for not wearing grey. She caught his eye and before he could express his regret for being amused by her situation, she grinned cheekily and Alec shook his head. 

“Ah, Ms. Adiel!” Maryse's guest voice was activated, sweet and formal. Alec turned his head to look at the woman. Lilith Adiel was the leader of Erudite. Alec never liked her. He remembered meeting her when he was eleven years old. He remembered how much he hated her eyes, the way they scorched into his as if she could see straight through him. 

It scared him more than he was willing to admit. He found that the name _Lilith_ suited her perfectly.

Looking at her now, though, he was taller and she looked less scary so he didn't feel too threatened as she exchanged greetings with his parents. They spoke a little, in hushed tones, then Lilith was smiling at Alec in a staid fashion. “You must be Alec” her eyes lingered on him as she held her hand out.

Alec took her hand with a small smile. “Nice to meet you.”

Lilith didn't directly answer to him, turning her head to look at Maryse. “I wasn't aware your children will be choosing today. Where's the other one?”

Maryse's lips parted and she cleared her throat, looking at Alec, whose brows were drawn together in confusion. “Other one?” He echoed. 

Just as Lilith opened her mouth to respond, Maryse turned to Alec and patted his arm, “go and take your seat, honey” she said. 

Alec's eyes stayed on her, burning right through her ruffled charade, then he went to follow her order. 

When everyone settled down, Asmodeus, the city council leader stepped out, his jet black hair a stark contrast with his light grey fitted suit. His presence radiated _power_ and made the entire room fall into silence. The effect he had on everyone was spine-chilling.

Asmodeus smiled as he stood beside the table that held the five bowls. 

_“the faction system is a living being composed of cells, all of you._  
_and the only way it can survive and thrive is for each of you to claim your rightful place._  
_the future belongs to those who know where they belong.”_

Alec's eyes went from Asmodeus, to the five bowls set on the table, whatever left Asmodeus had to say fading as he began to think harder than he had the entire week. 

His palms started sweating the second he realised that he really didn't want Abnegation.

Maia had told him he was Abnegation, yes. But he was also _Amity_ and _Dauntless._ Curiosity was eating him from the inside. He needed to know what this meant, if it had a name, if he can change it, _why it was dangerous to be more than one faction._

“Faction before blood” Asmodeus' words rang in Alec's ears. 

_just remember that family is what matters most, Alec._

_faction before blood._

“Faction before blood!” The cumulative repetition came. Alec was mostly murmuring it under his breath.

“Adrian Jones”

Annnnnd it was then that Alec remembered this was alphabetical and after a few names, he's going to be not only free, but his parents' biggest disappointment and completely, thoroughly _fucked_ by his own selfish decision.

“Candor!”

Cheers resonated throughout the room as Adrian went to join his faction.

“Acacia Davids” a minute later, “Amity.”

More cheers.

“Achilles Niles” another minute, “Amity.”

Name after name, applauds after applauds, heartbeat after heartbeat, then “Alexander Gideon Lightwood.”

Alec's breath caught in his throat, his eyes darting towards his parents, who smiled at him encouragingly. 

He stood up, hands instantly flying to the jacket of his suit and buttoning a single button as he began to slowly descend the steps leading to Asmodeus and the bowls that'll define him from this day on. 

_It was ironic how such a small bowl could hold his entire destiny._

All Alec could hear was his heart, slamming against the bony bridle of his ribcage. He couldn't look at his parents, especially when he's about to betray them beyond repair. 

Once in front of the bowls, Asmodeus offered Alec a knife and a smile, both of them equally as sharp. Alec shakily reached for the knife, curling his hand tightly around the hilt of it. The coolness of the steel was grounding, so grounding that Alec thought it may have embedded power in it. 

He stared at the grey stone of Abnegation for a long time, then slowly looked at Asmodeus, soundlessly apologising for how time-consuming he's being. 

Asmodeus only smiled, nodding his head in a way that made relief flood through Alec as he looked back at the stone, then at the water of Erudite. He was one less of a brain cell away from taking that bowl in hand and downing all the water inside. His mouth was dry, throat dry as he let his eyes wander to the soil of Amity. 

_Abnegation, Amity and Dauntless._

Candor wasn't for him, even he knew he wasn't honest. He was lying to his parents just yesterday. So all he paid the glass of Candor was a quick glance before moving on.

Finally, his eyes stopped on the burning coals of Dauntless.

_trust yourself._

One second he was staring at the scorching stones and the next the blade of the knife was slitting his palm open. His breath caught in his throat as he briefly closed his eyes, then he lifted his hand over the bowl and let his blood burn against the scorching coals. The sizzling was drowned by Asmodeus, avidly announcing his faction.

“Dauntless!”

Alec didn't dare look at his parents as he went to sit with his faction, who were cheering and welcoming with every new addition.

Once the ceremony was over, everyone left the theatre. Alec felt out of place.

Not only because of his humble grey clothes, but mostly because everyone from his born-faction was where their parents wanted them. 

“Come on! Let's go!” A boy yelled, then everyone was running and all of Alec's regrets shrivelled to nothing, his legs picking up pace in an attempt to catch up. 

He'd always watched the Dauntless from afar, how carefree and happy they seemed. How they ran in groups, not a care in the world like they owned the whole place. 

And he always envied them, always thought he'd end up like his parents, striving to become a high-ranked politician. Young him would've never expected to one day be upon the runners. A _protector._

A smile tilted his lips as he let the wind blow through his hair, fill his lungs, give him the freedom he's been lusting after for _years._

Even when everyone began climbing the bridge, Alec couldn't bring himself to ask why and just went with the flow, thanking his genes for his tremendously long legs as he reached the top with much ease.

He bent down, hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. God, this was exhausting. 

“Jump!”

And here we go again, Alec thought, rolling his eyes with a groan. He stood straight as a train whooshed past him, the rest of his faction taking turns to hop on it as it moved. It took him some time to process that the train won't be stopping anytime soon, and the moment it clicked, he started running faster than he ever had before. 

His lungs burnt with the lack of oxygen, his bones were _tired_ and he knew he was going to end up with tense muscles and a lot of knots, but right now, all he cared about was _getting on that train. He wanted to prove himself, to everyone around him but mostly, to himself._

A boy with messy brown hair that had turned even messier from all the running stood at the door, holding a hand out to him and that was all he needed to push aside the pain in his sides and pick up speed, hand clamping on his before he was pulled into the safety of the vehicle, both of them tumbling to the floor.

Alec lay on his back, an airy laugh leaving his open mouth. 

“You made it” the boy said breathlessly, holding a hand out sideways, “I'm Simon.”

“Alec” Alec responded, grasping his hand with his sweaty one and apologising quietly. “Abnegation”

“Erudite. Mom's going to be so pissed” was all Simon replied with, eliciting a snort from Alec, who couldn't bring himself to sit up despite the constant bumps of the train. 

“Tell me about it.” He didn't know what it was with parents' chagrin when their children chose to take a different path than theirs. It was sort of ludicrous.

Several “woo”s came, followed by a “let's go!”.

Simon let out a tired cry. “Can they _stop_ telling us what to do?” He rose, holding himself up with his hands flat on the steely ground. 

Alec shrugged and stood up to hold a hand out and bring him to his feet. They both lingered at the door, eyes wide as they watched everyone leap onto the stony roof of a building. “We're supposed to jump off a moving train onto solid ground? Do they want us dead?” Alec incredulously questioned. 

“It's either death or factionless” Simon replied, pushing his glasses up his nose as if apologising for the possible damage he's about to cause them. “At the count of three?” 

“At the count of three” Alec answered. 

Alec landed on the rooftop unceremoniously but the mocking laughter didn't matter to him as long as he wasn't harmed. He stood up and dusted his clothes off, ruffling the front of his hair to take the dust out of it. 

“Not so stiff anymore, huh?”

“Alright!” A voice cut in, loud and clear and weighted with a very thick accent. Everyone turned to look at the man speaking. “Pay attention to what I'm about to say” he clapped his hands twice and stood on the ledge of the roof. “I'm Sebastian, a leader of yours” he began to pace across the ledge with a sly smirk. “Here is the way to Dauntless” Sebastian held his hands out simply, his shoulders lifting in a simple fashion “if any of you doesn't have the guts to jump, then I guess you don't belong.”

“Is there water down there, mate?” The dude who called Alec a ‘stiff’ asked with his own matching accent, thinking that a supportive factor to earn an anoint friend with authority. However, it didn't earn him much as Sebastian jumped down from the ledge and approached him.

“I'm not your _mate_ ” he whispered, dangerously low and okay, maybe Alec liked him a little bit. He lifted his fist to his mouth and smiled behind it in derision. “So” Sebastian looked away at the rest of the group, “who would like to go first?”

Everyone, including Alec looked around, waiting for a hand to raise. “I will” Alec said casually, drawing Sebastian's attention to him. 

Sebastian stepped to the side, gesturing towards the ledge. “Off you go then.”

Alec took a deep breath and approached the ledge to look down. His eyes widened slightly at the crack, then he turned to look at Sebastian. “Are you serious?”

“Are you scared?” Sebastian's taunting ways are starting to clinch Alec's cordial loathing.

Alec slowly pulled his jacket off and slung it over the ledge, getting a few snickers. _I'd like to see you go first_ he thought to himself, _wimps._

He rolled his shoulders back to steel himself, then climbed onto the ledge and just stood there, looking down with his fists clenched by his sides. 

“Today, stiff!” Sebastian soon said, crossing his arms over his chest in tedium. Alec had to clench his fists tighter to hold back from flipping him off, then he was free falling and that's it, _I'm dead._ He disdained to scream at the sudden impact, then realised he didn't need to scream because he was bouncing on something comfortable and..fun. 

So he just lay there, bouncing lightly to a stop as he chuckled to himself. “Fuck” he breathed out, eyes closing as he stared up the hole. 

Any second someone will come falling down and that's how Alec will die, crushed to death on a trampoline. Another laugh rumbled from his throat. 

The trampoline dipped and Alec instantly jumped up, “done laughing?”

Alec's gaze landed on the man in front of him, face composed with the slightest twitch of his lips and a brow arched in a demeaning manner that had Alec nearly choking on his own words. 

“Were you pushed?”

Alec looked up one last time then back at the man in front of him. “No, no I–” he stopped to drink in the man's appearance, the way his eyes caught Alec's effortlessly. And _God,_ Alec felt like he could drown in them. “I jumped.” Alec's jacket landed on his head and he abruptly tugged it off, throwing it scornfully like it had personally offended him.

A flicker of amusement passed the man's features as he helped Alec off the trampoline, but it was gone as soon as it was there. “What's your name?”

 _Alexander_ lingered at the tip of his tongue but he refused to say it, lifting a hand to scratch his nape shyly. 

“You can choose whatever you want if that's any help” the man's eyes were still staring into Alec's and it _really, really_ wasn't helping with Alec's train of thought. 

“Uh, yeah,” Alec cleared his throat, “it's Alec. My name's Alec.”

The man nodded stiffly, and in spite of his impassive movements, there was still something there that nursed a sort of kindness Alec found familiar. “First jumper! Alec!” The cheers warmed Alec to the core, a small smile finding his lips as he nodded his head in thanks.

“Well, Alec.” Alec looked back at the guy, “welcome to Dauntless.”


End file.
